My name is Zoë Colvin and this blog is about pictures and places and books and unusual museums and everything from Z to C (that is, absolutely everything in existence, provided one takes an anarchic view of alphabetical order) Above all, it's an aide memoire for me

Sunday, 14 February 2010

Cliff Richard

According to the local paper, Cliff Richard has come amongst us. And what is more he has done a Diana, Princess of Wales, at a Melbourne hospital - visiting a ward completely unannounced (possibly the only way he ever visits anywhere if he wants to be certain of finding people in). One patient is quoted as saying that she'd never ever thought she'd meet Cliff Richard. 'Never in a million years,' she told the reporter. The crucial question - did she ever want to? - doesn't seem to have been put. Sir Cliff himself, (or 'sir' Cliff as the writer sensibly describes him, to start with), 'said he was just happy to have played a minor part in helping cheer up the patients' day.' Patronising git - had they asked to see him? He 'said he had also been touched after a patient recalled how he remembered Summer Holiday being played on the radio.' Wow - it's not exactly a life changing experience he's talking about is it? 'You forget how you've become a part of people's memories,' the singer said.' In my mind's eye, I can see the scene. Some poor bloke hooked up to an iv with a weird, plastic-faced '69-year-old music legend' hovering over him. 'Hi, I'm Cliff Richard.' 'Who?' 'Cliff Richard.' 'Who?' 'Cliff Richard, you know, the singer.' 'No, sorry mate.' 'You must remember' Runs through countless dull, forgettable so-called hits he's inflicted on the world. 'Oh, Summer Holiday, yes, maybe - sing me a few bars.' Cliff obliges. 'Yes, I remember that being played on the radio.' (Too polite to add that he was glad when at last the insufferable ditty stopped being played on the radio and he only remembers it because it was so unbearably maddening and wet.)

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Holding On - a novel

I wrote a novel that the London literary agency Sheil Land tried to sell for me. One publisher thought it was "compelling". Another said, "It’s pacy and gripping, and the plot is great." A third commented that it "is a warm, engaging and easy read", while a fourth considered that, "It is a good story (stories) well told". If you want to see what you think, you can find it here.

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About Me

I wrote a novel, represented by Sheil Land. One publisher thought it was "compelling, but it wouldn’t be easy to categorize – it is somewhere between ‘literary’ and ‘commercial’, and would need to be one or the other to be pitched for successfully in an acquisition meeting." Another said, 'It’s pacy and gripping, and the plot is great, but it lacks that lighter women’s fiction feeling. The writing is undeniably good but I’m not quite sure how I would position it on our list.'A third commented that it "is a warm, engaging and easy read but this ‘middle market fiction’ is a really tough area', while a fourth considered that, "It is a good story (stories) well told, but just missing the X-factor that would make me fall in love with it." I wanted to write an entertaining novel that I would like when I was in the mood for something thoughtful & amusing that I could enjoy without too much effort. If you would like to read it yourself, you can find it at http://cargocollective.com/Unrealities/Holding-On-a-novel.